Lumsden, Saskatchewan

Lumsden is a town in the Qu'Appelle Valley in south central Saskatchewan, Canada, 31 km northwest of the city of Regina. It is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Lumsden No. 189. The town functions as both a farming community and an unofficial suburb of Regina. Lumsden has an active artistic community, which consists of many writers, painters and sculptors.

Lumsden
Town
James Street
Lumsden
Coordinates: 50.6463°N 104.8676°W / 50.6463; -104.8676
CountryCanada
ProvinceSaskatchewan
RegionSouth Eastern Saskatchewan
Census division6
Rural MunicipalityLumsden
Established1881
Incorporated (Village)January 10, 1899
Incorporated (Town)March 15, 1905
Government
 • Chief Administrative OfficerDarcie Cooper[1]
 • Governing bodyTown Council
Area
 • Land4.06 km2 (1.57 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total1,824
 • Density402.0/km2 (1,041/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
Postal code
S0G 3C0
Area code(s)306
HighwaysHighway 11 Highway 20
WaterwaysWascana Creek
Websitewww.lumsden.ca
[2][3][4][5]

History

Settlers first arrived in 1881 and the area came to be commonly known as Happy Hollow. When the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake and Saskatchewan Railway came through the community in 1889, the name was changed to Lumsden after Hugh Lumsden, a senior engineer with the railroad.[6]

The town has been repeatedly flooded, with major flood events occurring in 1892, 1904, 1916, 1948, and 1969. In 1974, Lumsden experienced the highest water levels in the town's history; volunteers from Regina came to help with sandbagging. The town subsequently straightened the Qu'Appelle River's channel and built dikes.[6] The Town was at risk for flooding again in 2011 after a wet fall winter of record snowfall; however, it did not flood.[7]

The community was chosen by Harrowsmith Magazine in 2002 as the "prettiest" town in the province.[8]

Centennial

Official town centennial celebrations were held in March 2005. In May 2005, Lumsden hosted Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh at the Lumsden Sports Centre. Hundreds of guests were entertained by Marny Duncan-Cary, the Lumsden Community Choir, the Riel Reelers, and the Lumsden & District Band and Jazz Ensemble. The event was held in celebration of both the town and the province's centenaries, and was the only engagement of Canada's Queen outside urban centres on that visit to Saskatchewan.

Demographics
Canada census – Lumsden, Saskatchewan community profile
2011 2006
Population: 1,631 (+7.1% from 2006) 1,523 (-4.6% from 2001)
Land area: 4.06 km2 (1.57 sq mi) 3.82 km2 (1.47 sq mi)
Population density: 402.0/km2 (1,041/sq mi) 398.4/km2 (1,032/sq mi)
Median age: 42.4 (M: 38.8, F: 45.6) 41.5 (M: 40.8, F: 41.8)
Total private dwellings: 626 596
Median household income: $71,420
References: 2011[9] 2006[10] earlier[11]

Climate
Qu'Appelle Valley from Highway 11

Community events

Lumsden Duck Derby

Each year since 1987, the town of Lumsden hosts a fundraiser in which thousands of numbered plastic ducks are raced down the Qu'Appelle River. Participants purchase a numbered duck which is entered in the race, and the first ducks across the finish line win their owners cash and prizes. Proceeds from the derby benefit the sports center in town. The derby also hosts a variety of artists, musicians, traders, etc. who perform and sell their wares in town.[13]

Sports history

In 2006, the Lumsden Arena became the site of the second edition of the Western Women's Hockey League championship, between the Calgary Oval X-Treme and the Minnesota Whitecaps.[14] The town frequently hosts games for the Saskatchewan Prairie Ice, now of the Western Women's Hockey League.

Joe Fafard Sculptor, Artist. Born in Ste Marthe Saskatchewan and died in Lumsden Saskatchewan on 16 March 2019. He was awarded the Order of Canada and The Saskatchewan Order Of Merit. He had a solo exhibition of his work at the National Gallery of Canada in 2007.

Notable people

References
  1. Administration - Lumsden
  2. "2011 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. Retrieved 2014-04-09.
  3. National Archives, Archivia Net. "Post Offices and Postmasters". Archived from the original on 2006-10-06. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  4. Government of Saskatchewan, MRD Home. "Municipal Directory System". Archived from the original on 2016-01-15. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  5. Commissioner of Canada Elections, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada (2005). "Elections Canada On-line". Archived from the original on 2007-04-21. Retrieved 2014-07-15.
  6. McLennan, David (2006). "Lumsden". Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. Retrieved 2011-04-17.
  7. Book, Patrick (April 16, 2011). "Lumsden closes main bridge as flood water levels rise on Qu'Appelle River". News Talk 980. Rawlco Radio. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  8. "Harrowsmith Country Life Index from 1997 to present" (PDF). Harrowsmith Country Life. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
  9. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  10. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  11. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
  12. Environment Canada Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 6 September 2010
  13. Benjoe, Kerry (September 8, 2015). "The Lumsden Duck Derby - 28 years and going strong". Regina Leader-Post. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-05-19. Retrieved 2006-06-04.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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